Method of and apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes



APH] 24, 1956 D. w. MoLlNs METHOD OF' AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOUTHPIECE CIGRETTS Filed May 14, 1951 United States Patent O METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING MDUTHPIECE 'CIGARETTES Desmond Walter Molins, Deptford, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, Va British company Application May 14, 1951, Serial No. 226,187 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 2, 195i) Claims. (Cl. 131-61) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to a method of and apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes.

One way of making mouthpiece cigarettes consists in feeding unwrapped tobacco at intervals, with mouthpiece portions interrupting the continuity of `the stream Vof -unwrapped tobacco so as to form a continuous composite iiller, which is enclosed in a wrapper to form a continuous composite rod, the rod being then separated at suitable intervals to produce mouthpiece cigarettes. The present invention is concerned with the 4manufacture yol mouthpiece cigarettes according to `this general method.

The mouthpiece portions may for example, be made of paper -or other suitable material, and may include absorbent material, in `which case the mouthpiece portions are sometimes .known .as filter plugs or filter tips, or they may be made enti-rely of nonabsorbent material. As .a furtherexample, the mouthpiece lportions may comprise -hollow tubes of material such as cardboard. For convenience, all mouthpiece ,portions suitable for incorporation in mouthpiece cigarettes which are made in 'the .manner referred to above will be referred to hereinafter as stubs According `to the present .invention there is l.provided in the manufacture -of mouthpiece cigarettes a method comprising the steps of feeding forwardly an lu-nwrapped tobacco stream, supporti-ng .the .leading -end of the .stream on a paper web, which is Ito enclose the tobacco and `stubs v.and which moves 4faster than the said stream, periodically severing the stream so as to .separate therefrom .a leading length thereof which is supported on the -said paper web, and causing each said length after .severance to be `pressed against said y.paper web in such away .as to be accelerated and caused to .move at the speed of the -said .paper web, whereby spaces yare formed between successive lengths, inserting stubs into the said spaces so as Vto form a .continuous composite iiller of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, and subsequently enclosing the said composite filler in the said paper web to form 1a composite rod.

The method may include enlarging the said spaces, to facilitate insertion of the stubs, b y applying endwise ,pressure von the said lengths such as to cause endwise ycontraction yof A.the said lengths. The enlargement of the spaces may be effected -by causing stubs to move into said Vspaces at ra faster Vforward speed than that of the said ylengths of ltobacco so that the leading ends `of stubs engage and press against the rear ends of the 'said lengths while the `stubs are being inserted.

Further according to 'the ypresent invention 'there .is provided in the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes a method comprising the steps of feeding forwardly an unwrapped tobacco stream, severing the stream 'into separate lengths, causing the severed ,lengths to move for- `wardly faster than the unsevered stream so as to form lspaces therebetween, enlarging the said spaces 'by endwise 'pressure lon the 'said lengths suc'h as to cause endw'ise con- ICC 2 traction of the said lengths, and inserting stubs linto the said enlarged spaces.

The enlargement .of the spaces `may be effected byicausing stubs to move into said spaces ata faster forward speed than `that of .the said lengths vof 4tobacco so that the leading ends of stubs engage and press against the rear ends of the said lengths while the stubs Vare being inserted.

Further according to the invention, ,there is provided apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, .comprising means to feed an unwrapped stream of tobacco forwardly and deliver it on to a paper web which moves fasterlthan the said stream, means to .sever the stream so as periodically vto separate therefrom a leading length thereof which is supported on the paper web, movable means adapted intermittently to engage and press the tobacco against .the paper and to move forwardly with the paper, so thabeach successive cut length is pressed against the paper .web immediately after it is out and moves forwardly therewith, whereby the said lengths are caused to move at the speed of `the paper web and spaces are thereby formed between successive lengths, means to insert stubs in said spaces so as to form on the paper web a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, ,and means to fold and secure the paper web about the .composite :filler so as to form a composite rod.

.An example of apparatus for making .mouthpiece ciegare-ttes will now lbe described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which .Figure l shows .a front el@ vation, partly in section, of apparatus for forming and cutting a tobacco ller and incorpora-ting stubs therein to makel a Ycomposite rod; and Figure .2 ,is a fragmentary .end view, on :an enlarged scale, of a stub wheel. The apparatus illustrated is in many respects similar .to that .shown Ain the specification of United. tates Application Serial No. 183,143 of Desmond W. Molins, iiled September .5, 1950, now matured as U. S. Patent No. 2,646,048, issued .Iuly 21 1953, and for .convenience .the same lreference vnumerals are used for like or Vequivalent parts, as are `used in the yearlier specification.

.Referring to the drawing tobacco is showered from .a yhopper indicated diagrammatically .at 1 on to a Vmoving conveyor 2, consisting of an endless band, which conveys the showered tobacco lengthwise as .a loose .stream or filler .of unwrapped tobacco. .One .or more compression rollers, such as 3 and 4, are provided which .compress ythe stream laterally so as to impart to ,it a suitable vcross-sectional size and shape, and also suicient rigidity Vto enable `it to ,pass from the end of the .conveyor into and through a short guide tube 5 which is .located just beyond the compression rollers. v

.A cutting .device 7 is located .adjacent the end of the guide tube .and is adapted at intervals vto :cut racross the tobacco filler as .it issues from the guide tube. The ,cutting .device comprises a relatively narrow knife blade (similar to that .disclosed as in United States 4application Serial No. 183,143) which is `caused to cut across the lillerat high speed, so that the guide ltube is blocked only ,for a very short time, ,and thus there is very .little holding up the tobacco .filler in the guide tube.

Beyond the `knife is a short outlet guide tube 26.

A paper web 20 is supported on a conveyor ,belt 19 `and .moves in the direction of the arrow at a yconstant speed which is higher than that of the uncut ller and l.of the conveyor 2.

Arranged above the paper web 20 is a wheel, also re- 'ferred to as a stub wheel, which is arranged to cause stubs to be 4placed at .intervals on the paper web between successive portions of fthe tobacco filler. This stub wheel, whose vaxis of rotation lies across the direction of 'movement of .the filler, consists of a large .disc 9 having a concave rim 10, (see Figure 2) like some compression wheels. The periphery is perforated at, for example, three equally spaced positions 11, and retractable stub pushing devices 12 are provided within the body of the disc which move in and out of the holes as the disc rotates, when cam followers 13 attached to the pushing devices rotate about a fixed cam 14.

A suitable stub feeding device comprising a iiuted drum 15 is provided to feed stubs to the wheel at the top thereof, and these are carried round in turn by the pushers 12. The uted drum and the mechanism for feeding stubs into its flute are constructed and operated in any suitable and convenient known manner. A suitable mechanism for feeding stubs to the uted drum is disclosed in United States application, Serial No. 128,528, of Norman W. Jackson, iiled November 21, 1949, now matured as U. S. Patent No. 2,652,138, issued September 15, 1953.

At the side of the wheel where the stubs pass, a shield 16 is arranged to prevent stubs from leaving the concave rim, and at the bottom of the wheel each stub is delivered into a space between two iiller portions. As a stub is delivered in this manner the pusher 12 is retracted by the cam 14.

A small drive-roller 17 is provided above the paper web near the outlet guide tube 26. The roller 17 is in the nature of a sector whose arcuate part is so arranged that it is clear of the tobacco just prior to the cut, and immediately after the cut engages the tobacco to cause the latter to travel at the faster speed of the paper web. This drive-roller is so shaped as to move out of engagement with the tobacco which has not been cut. In this way, the tobacco, before being cut, is allowed, as far as possible, to slip on the faster moving paper web 20. The stubwheel 9 also has the further function of engaging the tobacco iiller at desired times so as to cause the tobacco to be pressed down against the paper web after the tobacco has been cut, so as to ensure that the cut portion travels at the speed of the paper web. This may be at the moment that the roller 17 engages the tobacco to accelerate it, or at a time when the cut-off length has passed beneath the roller 17.

Just beyond the stub wheel, and located above the second conveyor, is a scraper shoe 18 to remove any tobacco which tends to move up with the wheel after the delivery of a stub and which may act also as a compression shoe beneath which the stubs and separated portions of tobacco filler pass as a composite stream. This shoe is arranged with one end in contact, or nearly so, with the edge of the Wheel so as to ensure that the stubs and the tobacco are properly stripped from the wheel.

The cutting of the unwrapped filler occurs when an appropriate length of ller is already on the paper web. Immediately after cutting, the rotatable sector 17 referred to above is caused to engage the cut length of tobacco to press it against and move with the paper web and thereby cause the cut length to move forward quickly with the speed of the paper web. In this way the cut portions are accelerated and spaced apart. Stubs are inserted in the gaps so formed, by the stub-wheel as above described.

It will be seen that the speed ratio of the first conveyor 2 to the paper web 20 must be so chosen that the gaps formed between the tobacco portions on the paper web (which moves at the faster, and nal, speed) are no greater than necessary for the accommodation of stubs. It is important that the stubs and tobacco portions on the composite rod should abut closely, and since the speed of the stubs and tobacco portions cannot be reduced so as to close any gaps after the stubs are introduced between the tobacco portions (since the stubs and tobacco are carried on the paper web) the gaps must be of no more than just sufficient length to accommodate stubs in closely abutting r relationship to the tobacco portions.

In order to insert the stubs into these gaps, the stubwheel 9 is arranged to rotate at a faster (e. g. 10%-20% faster) peripheral speed than the speed of the paper web 20. Thus a stub, while being delivered from the stub wheel into a gap between tobacco portions on the paper web, moves faster than the tobacco portions. As the stub moves forwardly and downwardly into the gap, its leading end engages the rear end face of the preceding tobacco portion, and due to its greater speed (since the stub is still being pushed by a pusher 12 on the stub wheel) pushes the tobacco forward a little and thus compacts and compresses the tobacco in the region of the rear end of that tobacco portion. This widens the gap slightly and leaves enough room for the stub to tit in between the two tobacco portions.

The natural resilience of the tobacco causes the cornpressed end part of the preceding tobacco portion to expand again when it is free to do so-that is, when the pusher 12 is retracted into the wheel 9 and no longer pushes the stub forward at the faster speed-and it is thought that this alone tends to close up the enlarged gaps to a considerable extent.

Thus a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation is formed on the paper web 19.

A timing device consisting of a rotary member 22 is provided in order to correct any rearward displacement of a stub when the latter is beneath the tongue 21, and also to advance tobacco behind the stub so as to fill any gap or sparsely filled portion behind the stub and thus cause close abutting of the stub and tobacco. The rotary member has a thin blade-like finger 22a which on rotation of the member 22 moves down into the path of the composite filler a short distance (e. g. 3 mm.) behind the stub, and on further rotation of the member 22 moves forwardly at a faster speed than the paper web, the speed difference being such that by the time the finger Withdraws from the path of the iiller it has, during its period of travel in that path, moved about 6 mm. further than has the filler in that period. Due to its thinness, the finger 22a can generally pass at least partially through the tobacco behind the stub and thus tends to engage the rear end of the stub itself in order to advance it a desired amount.

The tobacco-advancing finger 22b also moves down into the path of the filler after the finger 22a and engages and advances tobacco behind the stub. The angle be tween the two fingers is sufficient to cause the finger 22a to leave the path of the filler an appreciable time before the finger 22b, which latter therefore continues for a short time to advance tobacco after the finger 22a has moved out of engagement with the stub, and can thus close up any gap behind the stub.

The tongue 21 is suitably slotted as shown to enable the fingers to pass through it.

In order to reduce any tendency for fragments of tobacco or dust to accumulate on the paper web in the gaps between tobacco portions, a blowing device 27 is provided and arranged to blow across the paper 20 where a gap occurs, just before and during the insertion of a stub. The blowing device is operated intermittently and is timed so as to blow air only across gaps between tobacco portions, so as to clean the paper where gaps occur without unduly disturbing the tobacco in the tobacco portions. As the operation of this device is liable to cause dust in the surrounding air and because it is necessary to keep the exterior surface of the paper web clean a suction nozzle 28 is provided. As the composite filler moves along with the paper web 20 it passes beneath the tongue 21 and through a garniture (not shown) of the usual type.

The tongue 21 and the garniture above referred to, and indeed all subsequent parts of the machine, follow orthodoX continuous rod cigarette making machine practice, so no further detailed description is necessary.

The paper web is then folded and secured about the continuous composite ller so as to form a continuous composite rod, which passes to the usual cutoff device which cuts the rod so as to produce mouthpiece cigarettes. The stubs and the tobacco portions of the composite rod '5 .are double the length of the corresponding portions in a nished mouthpiece cigarette, and 'therefore `the `cutoff is timed to cut the rod in the middle of yeach stub portion and 'each 'tobacco portion to produce individual mouthpiece cigarettes.

'The construction Idisclosed in the drawings in the above-mentioned United States application Serial No. 183,143 while lin many respects similar to the lconstruction just described, differs from the present construction in that it includes three separate conveyors moving at different speeds. The rst Vof these `conveyors carries the uncut tobacco iiller; the second, which moves considerably faster than the first, supports the .leading end of the iiller, and receives stubs in the vgaps formed between succeeding tobacco portions; while 4the third conveyor carries the cigarette paper web and moves `slower than the second conveyor .in order .that Vthe somewhat large gaps between successive tobacco portions may be closed up.

The vpresent construction has :a number of important advantages over `the earlier one. First, the fact that the tobacco lengths, `after .being accelerated to form agaps for stubs, do not have to be slowed down bodily, as in the earlier case, is beneficial in helping to maintain the formation ofthe unwrapped tobacco. Second, `not only -is there 'a reduction `in the number of changes in the speed of the ltobacco, but also the amount -by which its speed is changed can be considerably less than in the earlier arrangement, and this likewise reduces the tendency to upset the formation of the unwrapped tobacco. Third, the cigarette paper web provides a relatively smooth surface on which the leading end of the uncut tobacco filler can slip more easily than it can on the usual canvas band which would normally be used as the second conveyor in the earlier construction, and with less likelihood of upsetting the formation of the unwrapped tobacco, since such a canvas band is generally sufliciently rough to tend to pull some of the tobacco forwardly and may tend to spoil the formation of the unwrapped tobacco or even accelerate the tobacco filler before it is cut. Finally, the elimination of one of the three conveyors used in the earlier construction has the advantage of providing a simpler construction.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes a method comprising the steps of feeding forwardly an unwrapped tobacco stream, severing the stream into separate lengths, causing the severed lengths to move forwardly faster than the unsevered stream so as to form spaces therebetween, inserting stubs into said spaces, and during the insertion of a stub into a space, enlarging the said space by endwise pressure on one of the lengths against an end face only of the length prior to completion of the insertion of the adjacent stub such as to cause endwise contraction of said length.

2. A method according to claim l, wherein the enlargement of the spaces is effected by causing stubs to move into said spaces at a faster forward speed than that of the said lengths of tobacco so that the leading ends of stubs engage and press against the rear ends of the said lengths while the stubs are being inserted.

3. Apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising means to feed forwardly a paper web, means to feed an unwrapped stream of tobacco forwardly and deliver it on to said paper web which moves beneath the leading end of said stream and which moves at a constant speed faster than the said stream, means to sever the stream so as periodically to separate therefrom a leading length thereof which is supported on the paper web, movable means adapted intermittently to engage and press the tobacco against the paper and to move forwardly with the paper, so that each successive cut length is pressed against the paper web immediately after it is cut and moves forwardly therewith, whereby the said lengths are caused to move at the speed of the paper web 'and Aspaces Iare thereby formed ibetween successive lengths, means to insert stubs in said spaces so `as to form on the paper web a ycontinuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, and mean-s -to fol-d and secure ythe paper web about the ycomposite -iil-ler Iso yas to form a composite rod.

4. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a `com posite `filler of tobacco portions and stubs in lalternation, comprising means for feeding vforwardly an unwrapped tobacco stream, means to sever the stream, means yto -move'a severed portion of thestream lengthwise away from the portion behind it by a distance such 'as to form 'between v'the two lsaid portions a lspace no greater than the 'length of Ia stub, means fto insert 'a ystub vinto said space, and means 'to eifect lendwise -pressure on that end face only of one of said portions which fis adjacent the other portion so as to cause the portion so ypressed to contract lengthwise,- thereby enlarging the space between the two said portions, during the insertion of the said stub, to facilitate introduction of the said stub into the said space.

5. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to for-m a composite filler of tobacco lengths and stubs in alternation, comprising a lconveyor `movable lat a Iconstant speed and arranged to support and convey a 'paper web, means to feed Aforwardly yonto said paper web an unwrapped tobacco stream at a constant speed slower than that of the said conveyor, cutting means operable to sever from said stream a leading length which is supported on said paper web, means operable in synchronism with the cutting means to cause each severed length to move at the speed of said conveyor whereby the said length is moved bodily lengthwise away from the stream and a space is formed behind the said length, and means to move a stub endwise into said space when the latter is no longer than the said stub, said last named means being arranged to cause the stub to move endwise into said space at a faster forward speed than that of the said length whereby the stub presses endwise against the rear end of said length and thereby temporarily enlarges the said space to enable the stub to be inserted therein.

6. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a composite filler of tobacco lengths and stubs in alternation, comprising a first conveyor movable at a constant speed for feeding forwardly an unwrapped tobacco stream, a second conveyor to support a cigarette paper web and arranged to convey said paper web under the leading end portion of said stream, means operable between said first and second conveyors to cut the stream at desired intervals so as to cut off a leading length of the stream containing said end portion, means operable after a cutting operation to press the cut-olf length against the paper web to cause it to move bodily with the paper web, means to move the said second conveyor at a constant speed faster than that of the rst conveyor and such that each cut-off length moving bodily with the paper web moves lengthwise away from the oncoming stream to form a space between said length and said stream, and means to move a stub endwise into said space at a faster forward speed than that of the second conveyor whereby the stub presses endwise against the rear end of said cut-off length and thereby temporarily enlarges the said space to facilitate entry of the stub.

7. Apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, comprising a conveyor movable at a constant speed and arranged to support and convey a paper web, means to feed forwardly onto said paper web an unwrapped tobacco stream at a constant speed slower than that of the said conveyor, cutting means operable to sever from said stream at intervals a leading length which is above said paper web, means operable in synchronism with the cutting means to cause each severed length to be pressed against the paper web so as to be moved lengthwise at the speed of the said conveyor away from the said stream whereby a space is formed behind the said length, means to insert a stub into each said space, means to move tobacco in the region of an end of a tobacco length toward said stub, and relatively to the remainder of the tobacco in such tobacco length, so as to bring tobacco and stub into close abutment, means to fold and secure said paper web around the said tobacco lengths and stubs so as to form a continuous composite rod, and means to cut said rod at suitable intervals to form mouthpiece cigarettes.

8. In the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes a method comprising the steps of feeding forwardly an unwrapped tobacco stream, severing the stream into separate lengths, causing relative movement between the severed lengths and the unsevered stream to form spaces therebetween, inserting stubs into said spaces, and during the insertion of a stub into a space, enlarging the said space by endwise pressure therebetween, inserting stubs into said spaces, and during the insertion of a stub into a space, enlarging the said space by endwise pressure on one of the said lengths against an end face only of the length prior to completion of the insertion of the adjacent stub such as to cause endwise contraction of the said length.

9. In the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes, a method comprising the steps of forming a space between the ends of two portions of unwrapped tobacco, inserting a stub into said space and applying pressure to an end face only of one of said portions during entry of a stub into the said space so as to cause endwise contraction of tobacco in said portion so pressed.

10. In the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes, a method comprising the steps of forming a space between the ends of two portions of unwrapped tobacco, and inserting a stub into said space and concurrently pressing the stub against that end face only of one of said portions which is adjacent the other of said portions so as to cause endwise contraction of tobacco in said pressed portion and thereby to enlarge said space to accommodate said stub.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,119,873 Prescott Dec. 8, 1914 2,152,416 Molins Mar. 28, 1939 2,180,669 Edwards Nov. 21, 1939 2,291,890 Edwards Aug. 4, 1942 2,351,410 DiIanni June 13, 1944 2,646,048 Molins July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 447,779 Great Britain May 26, 1936 448,000 Great Britain May 29, 1936 449,922 Great Britain July 7, 1936 

